Fringe – A fangirl’s dream show

There is just something about Fringe that makes me fangirl like a complete loon. I’m not sure there are enough words in the whole English dictionary for me to describe the feeling I get when I watch it. Let me put it this way, not since Stargate SG-1 has a show captivated me in a way that Fringe does.

Last night, the season four finale aired; it was the second part of the continuation. For me to properly explain all my thoughts and feelings on the epic ‘Brave New World’ two-parter, I need to take you through the journey that has been the story so far.

If you’re a watcher of this amazing show, then this recap is not for you, well it is if you want to see me try to explain it all in a paragraph or few, which is no easy task (Challenge Accepted). Beware: Spoilers below.

Leads Jackson, Noble and Torv

Fringe is really centred around three main characters, FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham, Doctor Walter Bishop (Australia’s Anna Torv and John Noble) and Peter Bishop (Mighty Ducks star, Joshua Jackson – who has amazing beard scruff). The work they investigate usually has ties back to the wacky fringe science experiments Walter performed in the late 70s and 80s with William Bell (Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy), founder of Massive Dynamic – the largest privately owned R&D facility in the world.

In short, Walter is released from a mental institution to help save Agent Dunham’s partner, who was exposed to a cocktail of chemicals that turned his skin completely translucent. This whole thing created a domino effect and led Dunham to be pulled into working for Fringe Division to explain events that could mean the end of the world. Season one is centred on The Pattern and ZFT where David Robert Jones heavily features. We are also introduced to the Observers, who turn up at important points in history. However, their origin and purpose are relatively unknown until season four. Season one finishes with William Bell taking Olivia across to another universe – the ‘Red’ universe (ours is Blue – it helps to differentiate during the episodes).

During season two we learn that Peter is not actually ‘our’ Peter (he was taken from the other side as a boy) and Olivia discovers

William Bell (Nimoy) and Walter Bishop

more about the experiments that Walter and William performed on her when she was a child living down in Jacksonville, Florida. Did I forget to mention that in the previous paragraph? Whoops. Anyway, Olivia is special; she was given ‘Cortexiphan’ – a drug that enhances innate mental abilities. Due to the Cortexiphan, Olivia has a gift that Walter wanted to exploit – she can cross over to the other universe. So anyway, back to the story. Basically, Peter felt betrayed and decided to join his real father back on the other side. However, Walternate wasn’t the man Peter thought he was and so, with help from other Cortexiphan subjects, Olivia crossed over with Walter and William Bell to bring Peter back. Only the main trio manage to return safely home, or do they?

Season three is a story about both of the universes, so you got to see the similarities and differences between the two worlds – they didn’t have coffee; could you imagine that? I’d die! I don’t want to give too much away because season three is quite awesome, but lets just say, the Olivias are a little bit different; one of them has an ‘evil vagenda’. The season focuses on finding and building a machine that has the ability to destroy universes, to which somehow Peter and Olivia are the keys. The two universes are basically on the brink of war with one another and it is up to Peter to save them; only a trip to the future gave him the idea of how.

September (Michael Cerveris)

So finally, season four… I don’t know how to explain this season. It brought the story from season one full circle to an ‘end’ of sorts… in a Fringe way of course. The central storyline was the creation of a new universe and the destruction of the other two. Unknown to anyone was the bankroller for the idea. Season four started out with Peter having been wiped from existence and therefore, the timeline had changed, almost drastically in some instances. He was the lynchpin. Without giving away the whole story, Peter eventually found his way back into existence, but no one knew who he was. Memories of the past were lost. The key line of the season, which explains pretty much everything, was said to Olivia by one of the Observers, September: “In every version of the future, you have to die.” After the finale, the line finally makes sense. And let me tell you one thing, the William Bell of this world is like ‘Alternate Universe Spock’ – he just didn’t have his goatee.

I love storylines, and Fringe has one of the best storylines I have ever followed. For those of you who know me, that’s not the only thing I love about television shows… I am a major shipper. In this show, it is no exception. The thing is, the writers don’t jerk you around with following a couple, oh no, Peter and Olivia have been together on and off since the end of season two. I can’t tell you why they were ‘off’, but one thing is for sure, Peter and Olivia are forever destined to be together. The season four finale just cemented that…

… Olivia told Peter she was pregnant… it wasn’t a major surprise as three episodes previous was an episode set in the future, with

Just after Olivia broke the news

their daughter as the main lead. After all they had been through they finally get some happiness. Peter’s face when she told him was one of pure joy. That second to last scene made me bawl my eyes out in tears of happiness, never mind that five minutes previous it was tears of sadness. They make me squee and fangirl so bad.

Anyway, season five is scheduled to be the last season and it’s sure to be amazing. The Observers are coming…

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Redefining the Fangirl

The SpaceGypsies are a team of reporters, writers, convention goers, and geeks. Since 2009, we have been committed to providing quality coverage of a variety of fandoms through news, convention reports, interviews, reviews, and more.